Decorative sheet and panel and process of making same



Nov. 9 1926.

- M' H. MAYER DECORATIVE SHEET AND PANEL AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 1926 NVE/VTOR MAR/E HANAFORD MA YER Y u n s Patented Nov. 9, 1926,

entrain star MARIE HANAFORD MAYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLIIilOIS.

DECORATIVE SHEET AND PANEL AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed January 21, 1926. seri'aifuo. 82,682.

v My invent-ion relates to sheets and panels, I especially of the decorativev typ'e'usabie for lamp shades, screens, panels, signs and similar things of use where light comes from one source on certain occasions and from a source on the opposite side on other occasions, The invention relates also'to the process of making the articlesmentioned. To. take a typical example, let us consider a lamp shade used for interior decoration. When the lamp is lighted the light rays come from a point within the shade and the pattern or design is. brought out by reason of the differences in degrees of trans parency of the different portions of the shade. In the day time when the lamp is not lighted the light comes from outside of the shade and the pattern is conveyed to the eye by reflection. One. of the. objects of my invention is to obtain an article which will produce a pleasing effect, both when the light comes from the side opposite to the observer and when it comesfrom the same side as the observer. Another'object is to produce. a sheet in which the pattern will appear lighter than the background, both when the light is transmitted and when it is reflected. Another object is to provide a sheet in which both the design and the background will be translucent and at the same time present a contrast both between the design and the background and between different parts of the design. Another object. is to provide an article of this description which shall be flexible to a'considerabledegreeso it can be bent to form lamp shades and similar things without cracking.

I accomplish my objects in the manner illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of the finished article.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the finishedarticle on the line 2-2 Figure 1, showof a translucent, moisture-proof substance 2. substance which I have found suitable for the purpose isshellac, preferably of light color. Shellac of the better grades is not only translucent but is flciiibie to a considerable degree. If the pattern is to be plain lettering or other fla tened design the shellac may be laid on in uniform thickness, but where decorative designs are desired the shellac is laid on in varying degrees of thickness, the greatest thicknesses placed where the high lights are to come.

After the shellac is dry I apply by brush or otherwise an oil color or other pigment being I 3, this pigment being applied over the design as well as overfthe surrounding areas of the sheet. Beforethis pigment or color has dried or set I wipe or brush over the. shellacked areas, which removes the pigment from the shellacmcre or less thoroughly, depending upon the thickness of o" portion of color until the tone blends with the tone of the unshellacked areas or back-- ground.

There are several; advantages of this process. In the first place the article may be produced very rapidly, for the color may be applied over the entire sheet without reference to the design; then, without waitingfor the color to dry',,the design may be brought out by merely passing a cloth,

, sponge or brush over the shellaclred portions for removing the color from the shellac. This operation also may be performed without careful reference to the design for the color will set comparatively quickly on the areas not covered by the shellac and hence the cloth or other wiper may be rubbed over the surfacewithout fear of spoiling the ar-' ticle. In the second place the article when finished presents a design in which the same parts are in high light both when the light is transmitted and when it is reflected. In the case of the so-called polychrome method where clay or similar plastic is em ployed the area which it covers will be dark and show the design in silhouette when the light comes from a source on the opposite side of the sheet'from the observer. Thus while clay or other plastic may, by mixing a light pigment with it, be made to show a light-colored design under one condition (reflected light) it does not show a lightcolored design under both conditions, as is' the case o1 my article. Another characteristic of my article resulting in part from the fact that the shellac or other designed substance is translucent is that the color tones are graded in inverse proportion to the thickness of the applied substance both when the light is transmitted and When it is reflected. i l here the applied substance is thickest the color tone will be lightest in my article under both lighting conditions, which is not true where the applied material is opaque or substantially so. Another advantage 0t my article is that it is flexible to a pronounced degree, which is not true where ordinary plastic material is employed. This makes it applicable to lamp shades and other articles Where the sheet must be subjected to bending.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of decorating sheets consisting in applying shellac to the sheet in the term of a design, then applying liquid coloring matter over the sheet, including the shellacked and unshellacked areas, and finally Wiping the surface of the sheet to remove color from the shellacked areas.

2. The method of decorating sheets consisting in applying to a semi-transparent, flexible sheet a fluid which is moisture-proof and flexible when dry, said fluid being applied in the form of a design; permitting the fluid to dry; subsequently applying a neeame fluid color over the design and over the background; and finally wiping the surface of the sheet whereby color is removed from the areas occupied by the design.

8. The inethod o1 decorating sheets consisting in applying to a translucent sheet shellac in the form of a design, the shellac being applied to greater thickness over the areas intended to produce high lights, dryi the shellac, applying color over the shell covered areas and adjacent surface 01": the sheet, then wiping the surface of the sheet to remove the color from the shellac in a degree Varying in accordance with the thickness of the shellac.

An article of the class described consisting oi a sheet of parchment paper which is translucent, translucent shellac applied to the sheet in various thicknesses to -form a design, and a color applied to the sheet, the color being applied also on the shellac in varying thicknesses in inverse proportion to the thickness of the shellac.

An article having the characteristics described consisting of a translucent flexible sheet, a translucent substantially flexible, 1noisture-proot substance applied to the sh et in the form of a design, coloring matter applied to the moisture-proof substance 2111C. to the areas of the sheet surrounding it, the moisture-proof substance being laid on in arying thicknesses at Various parts of h the desi n and the coloring matter overlymg it in inverse proportion to its thickness.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

Mania. HANAFORD MAYER. 

